The Sweetest Dream
by drummer8907
Summary: Each Oken is in search for their sweet dream. It takes trust, support, and a little faith from a special person to get Oliver to realize he is on the right track in life.


**AN: Long time, no post. I'm currently stuck on some of the newer stories I'm working on, so I dug deep into my Lollie files and found some older stories I started several months ago. I finished one, fixed it up, and now I figured I would post it. This is another one of those long one shots. (I couldn't find a good place to separate it into chapters. Pace yourselves; I'm sorry.) Enjoy this fluff-filled future fic.**

**Disclaimer: I think by now we've all worked with, shipped, and spazzed over Loliver love so much that we SHOULD own them...but our fate is in the hands of Disney's writers.**

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The front door knob of a small-sized Malibu beach house rattled. A young man in his early twenties slowly entered into the living room from the starry night. Dressed in his ever so causal job attire, (jeans, some form of graphic tee, a skinny tie, and sneakers) it was clear that he had returned after long hours at work. He made sure he shut and locked the door quietly, yet did so with a faint sigh. Oliver was very weary and couldn't believe he finally made it home where he belonged; where he _longed _to _be_.

Glancing around the room, he looked for signs of any recent activity. The TV was off and felt cool to the touch; like it had been that way for hours. A light blue jar candle that sat in the center of the coffee table had hardened wax around the wick. Various items that were aligned in their designated spots beforehand hadn't moved an inch. No one had been downstairs that evening. Oliver hoped to be greeted in the doorway with open arms, a sweet kiss, or a warm smile that read "welcome home" at the very least. That was not the case. The room was full of those memories, yet it felt so empty and dark.

Silly, naive Oliver. Why did a thought like that cross his mind? He never should have expected Lilly to be waiting on baited breath for his return. Not after the roller coaster year they had. The last few months in particular had been extremely hectic and disorderly. With such a major event that occurred, he had no right to expect that things had automatically bounced back to the way they were. Such an adjustment needed time, but how much was enough?

Oliver thought he was ready. Lilly, on the other hand, obviously wasn't...

Keys jingled in his hand. The first instinct was to simply toss the set on the coffee table. His arm swung backwards, but as he motioned to do so, Oliver received a vivid flashback to when he had just purchased the house. He had lead Lilly inside blind folded much like she had done to him on countless other occasions. She gasped at the sight when Oliver removed the cloth covering from her eyes. They shared a joyous embrace, followed by an excited peck on the lips. Oliver smiled smug and chucked the keys to his very own place behind him, landing smack dab on that table that still sat there today. Lilly giggled, but then told him never to do that, because it could have scratched the finish. That was Lillian; she always wanted to hang on to and preserver what made up a special moment. Everything had to stay perfect.

Mr. Oken felt that way, too. In fact, he strived for it. That was why he obeyed the warning from the vision and placed the keys down carefully. That was why what happened between him and Lilly had to happen. That was why he knew he had to _and wanted _to be here more than anything. Oliver loved Lilly with all that he was and tried to keep things how they were supposed to be.

But change was still the name of the game. No longer was it acceptable to act a certain way. Everything had to be done by the book; a book Oliver didn't finish reading before he took a chance and went out earlier. In all reality, he had no real choice. What had been put on hold was in that state for far too long. One of them had to grab the reigns, so to speak. Being a man, Oliver felt like it was his duty to carry on first. Lilly had a little more time off, but the clock was ticking.

The twenty-something man grew tired of those pictures in his head and was still worn out physically. It had been a whole three months since his last day on the job, so Oliver wasn't in the best shape nor did he feel up to par. His heart was at home, and his intentions were good. No matter how strongly Lilly disagreed though, Oliver left that night and did what he did; it couldn't be changed. Now he was to suffer any and all consequences.

A yawn escaped his mouth as he ascended the stairs with his black leather jacket flung over his left shoulder. Those stairs always felt steeper and longer at night. He wasn't sure of the actual number of steps, but he swore he counted at least fifteen once. Tonight they seemed to drag on forever. Each time he lifted up a foot, an annoying creaking of the old wood settling underneath sounded. As he made the trek, hopes and wishes filled his mind. Maybe she was waiting for him up there. Was it possible she had something to share with him?

The upstairs hallway was lit by a small nightlight plugged in to an outlet in the middle of the wall. Lilly only switched that on so that Oliver didn't trip or fall when he was out and about during the middle of the night. She catered to his clumsiness and assimilated to his accident-prone way of life. That meant she cared for him; Lilly loved Oliver enough to not want to see him get hurt. He took great comfort when he saw the pathway to a special room was light by the soft, off-white glow.

Oliver approached the doorway as cautiously as possible. A smile began to curl before he even peaked inside through the frame. In his mind, he saw her sleeping there without a care in the world. All of his insecurities and troubles were just seconds away from disappearing. One look was all he needed to set everything straight and bring back the happy soul he normally was. His head of dark, semi-shaggy hair poked around the corner, ready to take in that beautiful sight.

Only there wasn't anyone to see...

Stunned and surprised, Oliver pulled back with raised eye brows. The pastel-colored room had no occupants. A clean, flowered sheet covered the mattress, but no one was laying on it. There was an open, hardback book resting pages down on the arm of the white arm chair. Upon a second glance, Oliver noticed it was one of Lilly's all-time favorites. Although there was a whole shelve of books in another room, she lately read curled up on that piece of furniture given to Oliver by his grandmother. That room looked lived in, but it also gave off the vibe that someone had picked up suddenly and left to a destination unknown for an undisclosed amount of time.

He stopped trying to put two and two together. Those clues caused too much sadness. All he wanted was to see her, to hold her. Stress got the best of both of them. Oliver knew the direct source and came home to ease things and be with who he loved. That didn't happen on this night; his girl was no where to be found.

Oliver leaned on the door frame with his right hand and stared down at the beige carpeting. Eyes glistened while he bit his lip. What if she _did_ leave him (if only for that one night?) Lilly had mentioned the possibility of going back to her mothers if things became so out of hand that not even she could control them. Had that happened in the span of time he was gone? Hypotheses and crazy theories weren't the necessary focus to Oliver. It definitely depressed him to find an empty house, but that wasn't what hurt the most. He had to do something that Oliver hadn't done since he didn't remember when. On that evening, Oliver Oscar Oken feared he had to sleep _alone_.

With a deep sigh, he wiped away a pesky tear or two that had fallen with his shirt's sleeve. Suck it up and be a man, Oliver. Account for the actions that were made. Disappointed in the outcome, he trudged off toward the room next door to ready himself for bed. It was going to take a lot of effort both physically and mentally to get through this.

Because he was so affected by his temporary loss, Oliver acted a bit strange. His jacked was removed from his shoulders and hung over the outside door knob. Red flags should have gone up in numerous amounts. He knew that this was one of Lilly's pet peeves. She hated when things were out of place, since she was the one who did all of the cleaning around the house. Not only did it portray a slobby image, but it created more work when Lilly really didn't have the energy or will to do anything extra. Bottom line, Lilly hated an unkempt environment, and Oliver was well aware of that fact on an average day. Right now, however, he felt numb with the slightest, microscopic hint of anger. It didn't matter what Lilly disliked, a childish wave had eroded away at Oliver's mind. He left the jacket there just to stand out and push a button without fear of any rebuttal.

Though satisfaction was achieved by that random act, a grouchy feeling fueled by the fact he had a king-size mattress to himself was still present. Oliver grumbled as he pushed open the door with added force. What he saw through his big brown eyes nearly caused him to have a heart attack, but for all the right reasons.

Lying there in bed curled on her side wearing a purple tank top and navy cotton shorts was Oliver's wife, partially asleep. Just to the left of Mrs. Oken was a pale yellow bassinet with palm trees that held their momentarily quiet three-month old baby girl. Oliver wasn't alone. His family was here. He came home to the scene he had always prayed for: Lilly and their adorable child resting peacefully.

It was a true Hallmark moment. Bitter, sour feelings were immediately replaced with warm, fuzzy butterflies. Watering of the eyes occurred again, but this time, they were happy tears. That site lifted his spirits and put an antsy accent over his actions. Now all I he wanted was to be next to them.

Oliver undressed without letting his wife and daughter out of his sight. He watched the thin white sheet that covered Lilly's mid and lower sections rise and fall as he loosened and removed his skinny tie. His shirt went next, being careful not to hit his arms off of the ceiling fan that was spinning on low. Shoes and socks were easily discarded and kicked off to the corner. A grin formed as he unzipped the tight, black jeans. This was not one of sexual nature, (although intimacy had been a stranger recently), but rather that of fulfillment, of victory.

He crept towards the bed very slyly in just his boxers. The less movement felt on the bed or heard from the floor the better. This was supposed to be the most pleasant, pleasure-filled surprise Lilly had received in quite a while. Husband carefully lifted up the sheet and slide up beside his wife, facing the same direction she was. Lilly's long, blonde hair was down to almost her shoulder blades. Parts were brushed aside with a steady hand. His body gently pushed against her back as one arm traveled underneath the covers and caressed her arm with this thumb. Oliver tilted his head down and gave a long, warm kiss to the back of Lilly's neck.

"Mmm...am I dreaming?" She questioned softly at the much desired physical contact.

"Am _I_? Oliver whispered into her ear, which sent and received shivers.

Lilly began to slowly turn her head. She rolled over flat on her back. A drunk with sleep presents hung around, and it combined with a playful demeanor. Oliver gave off the same look in return. They both reached up and lightly pinched each other's cheek.

"Nope." They breathed out simultaneously with ever-growing smiles.

Mr. Oken cupped both sides of Mrs. Oken's face, lowered his head, and planted a deep kiss on his wife's lips. She smiled underneath him and pushed against his lips with her own. Oliver eventually pulled away and stared into Lilly's shimmering blue gems.

"Lilly...I'm..."

"Shh. I don't wanna get into it tonight." She yawned and slowly, but surely sat up in bed. "How was your show?"

"I've done better." He answered honest as he straightened his back. "Much better..."

"Was it because of me?" Lilly's face reddened with her comment.

"Well I certainly missed you out there." Oliver scooted over closer to her. "It's also been so long since I had a real gig."

"I'm sure you were great, Ollie-pop." Lilly took her hand and ran it across his bangs. "You always are."

The smile that the compliment had caused didn't last. Even though she had said not to talk about the matter from earlier, Oliver felt like Lilly should know that his opinion had changed. He let his eyes search the room as he carefully chose words to begin his explanation. "I shouldn't have gone tonight..."

"Oliver, what did I just get done saying?" She scolded more with her eyes than her tone of voice.

"I know, I know." Embarrassment was present, but he ignored it. "I just wanna say that you were right. I had no business leaving you two alone." Oliver acknowledged his daughter by a head motion.

"What's done is done, honey." Lilly stated. "I know I was really upset with you earlier, but I've cool down some, and things make a little more sense."

"I took as much time off as I realistically could. With you still on extended leave from your teaching job and me staying here to look out for you and the baby..." Oliver paused and swallowed nervously, but knew he had to tell the truth. "We were running low on money, Lilly-pop. I had to do it. I've got a family of my own now. I gotta support it."

Guilt sucker punched Lilly in the stomach. Her accusation, their immature fight, and all the ruckus that was caused before Oliver stormed out the door that afternoon was for nothing. She did have the tendency to be a drama queen sometimes, but Lilly felt beyond terrible for overreacting.

"You're a wonderful husband and father." She sniffed, ready to let the water works start.

"And you're an amazing wife and mother." Oliver wrapped his arms around Lilly held her against his bare chest. "You've given me everything I've ever dreamed of."

"What about singing?" She asked from the crook of his neck. "When we were kids, you said you'd give up your dreams for me."

"That was a lie, Lilly..."

Mrs. Oken stiffed and slightly pushed her husband off of her. "W-What?"

"I was a stupid, closed-minded teenager. I didn't know what I was thinking when I said I would give up my dreams for you."

A nervous fear flooded the air. Oliver needed to clear up his conversation now, or he honestly was going to lose everything he had. "Oliver, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I never had to give up anything. I'm_ living _my dream."

He reached over and took both of Lilly's hands in his own. Hers were much smaller than her husband's and fit snuggly in his palms. Their eyes met as Oliver ran his thumbs across the upper part of her fingers and knuckles, smoothing the already soft skin.

"Singing is great, but even before that...all I ever wanted was to be your dedicated husband and a proud daddy."

With that, the ocean blues sprung a leak. As odd as it may seem, Oliver smiled at that reaction. That meant Lilly understood every word, honest to goodness. She believed in the genuine, "straight from the heart" feelings that were poured out just then. They were on the same page now.

When he went to tug on her hands to nudge her to come closer, Oliver found himself to be a step behind in his thought process. Instead of having to hint for the kiss, Lilly just gave him one. She had leaned forward and stole her man's lips before either could blink. Oliver squeezed their hands, then released Lilly's to put his own elsewhere. One gently held the side of her face still as he kissed back passionately. It took ages to pull away, (since such a sensation hadn't been experienced in what seemed like forever) but when they did, they found a mutual desire.

"I love you, Oliver." Lilly's eyes twitched and set loose another salty drop that started to trickle down her cheek.

"And _I_ love _you_, Mrs. Lilly Oken..."

Oliver slid his hands all the way up Lilly's arms to her exposed shoulders. Nerves tingled from the touch. She was slowly pushed backwards until her head reached the down-feather pillow. Eye contact was made the whole time as they lost themselves. In single solid movement, he swung one leg over Lilly's body and adjusted his position on top of her. He didn't want to crush the love of his life; he just wanted their bodies to be as close as possible.

"I love you more than anything in the world; more than anything in the universe..." He professed in between lingering and loveable presses of lips down Lilly's neck. They showed affection, not wild hormonal attraction. Oliver smiled down at her, but spoke in a serious tone to let Lilly know his feelings were the purest of truth. "I love you more than any in existence."

A small cry emitted from the bassinet to the Oken's left just after that expressed was made. Both parents turned their heads and noticed their infant daughter had awoken from her brief slumber.

"Well that was a short nap." Lilly announced, not sounding very surprised.

Oliver looked somewhat ashamed for disturbing the peaceful environment. "I woke her up, didn't I?"

"It's ok, honey. She's been a little fussy all night." Mrs. Oken explained. She made a soft grunt as she pushed herself up from the mattress with her hands.

As she reached over and clicked on the lamp on the nightstand, Oliver saw Lilly's true complexion that night. Of course Oliver thought his wife was beautiful no matter what, but now he was able to determine just what kind of night she had while he was gone. Her face appeared weary and exhausted just like Oliver's, but for a much more important reason. Lilly's hair was tussled and her tank top had wrinkles and a few scattered spots of formula on it. Those blue eyes (though the remnants of dark circles were visible underneath them) still had their trademark sparkle. It had formed the second Lilly held Oliver's hand in preschool, increased in luster when they said "I do", and made a permanent home the day their baby was born.

Cries increased in volume as Lilly spoke. "Don't worry, Ollie-pop." She stretched her neck up and gave a quick kiss. Lips quivered; all of the energy Lilly possessed from this short-lived recharging period was spent. Her achy body fidgeted underneath Oliver's. "I'll take care of it. I just need to-"

"Hey, little one..."

Before Lilly finished that sentence, Oliver had cut her off in mid breath. He rolled himself off and was now standing at the edge of the bassinet. Very gently, he reached in and scooped up the baby, holding her up against the side of his chest. "Sweet Faith Lillian." He cooed. "What's wrong, precious?"

"Does she need changed?" Lilly asked, watching Oliver twist his upper body back and forth as he tried to sooth Faith.

"She doesn't feel wet." He reported after checking. "Hey, but I _do_ like your outfit, Faithy-pop!" Faith was dressed in a white onezy with little cartoon-like penguins waddling all over the fabric.

Lilly smiled from the bed. "I think it's become her favorite."

"Did you know your daddy dressed like a penguin once?" He rhetorically spoke to the baby, who continued to fuss, but not as loudly as before. Lilly pulled her legs in and sat Indian style on the bed so that her husband had room to sit next to her. "Mhm. It's true. Daddy waddled around all day, just like these guys on your cute little shirt."

"Your father looked rather silly." Lilly jumped in to the discussion. They shared a glance, but she held back her giggle.

"Don't listen to mommy, Faith." Oliver turned to Lilly and smirked. "She thought I looked_ hot_."

"Don't tell our daughter that!" She playfully slapped him on the back. "She doesn't need to know about this stuff!"

Oliver grinned through the sting of pain like always, and ignored the warning given. "I was the best looking guy on the beach that day. I even had a nickname and a little chant."

Lilly widened her eyes and gave a confused look. "You're not gonna..."

"When I say foxy, Faith say penguin! Foxy!" Oliver exclaimed sweetly. There was that dopey, lop-sided smile of his. Lilly only had one reaction: she smacked one of her hands against her forehead.

"Oh _Oliver_!" She laughed and the combo of dorky and patheticness.

Faith let out noise, then stopped momentarily and stare weirdly up at Oliver. "_Fox_-_y_?" Her dad repeated and softly poked her tummy. He sat holding her patiently as if he was waiting for a response.

"She's three months old, baby." Lilly found herself reminding Oliver of that fact quite often. Though he was the best father a child could ever ask for, Oliver sometimes had a flare up of a preconceived notion that babies came out of the womb much more mature.

"But our daughter so smart and way more developed than other babies! I know she can do it!" He defended with pride. Oliver lifted Faith away from resting on his chest and held her so they could both see her face. "C'mon, sweetheart. Say 'penguin' for your daddy! _Pen-guin_!"

Lilly sighed and rubbed Oliver's shoulder. "I love your enthusiasm, but it's a waste of time. No three month old can talk, and even if ours could, I doubt her first word would be penguin."

"Maybe she'll learn by example." Why he was not dropping this mindless obsession, Lilly did not understand. "Mommy and daddy will do it this time, Faithy." Oliver told his daughter first and then looked over at Lilly. "When I say foxy, you say penguin! Foxy!"

"_Ollie-pop_..." She shot a narrow glare with her incorrect reply and placed her hands on her hips. Reenacting that chant was something those two did like to do on occasion. Because of the extent of the past hours, however, Lilly was not in the mood to be silly and flirty. As hard as it was, she kept all urges at bay. This was supposed to be Ollie/Faith bonding time. Lilly and Oliver had plenty of more chances to act like hormonal-driven teenagers. They did need to "bond" per say.

"Pease Lilwy?" The grown man pouted with the cutesy face. That was the Oken family secret weapon. No one was a better guilt tripper than this husband and wife duo. It was clear that one was more of a push over than the other, but there were times when the underdog scored a victory or two. Oliver hoped it was one of those days.

During this little parental debate, the baby seemed to calm down some. Once a lull of silence was reached, Faith found it necessary to crank up the fussing. This distracted Oliver from his own childhood memory.

"I guess you're not in the mood for story time." He frowned down at Faith's scrunched up, tear-stained face.

"I tried to read to her in the nursery earlier. We only got a few pages in before she starting wailing." His wife informed. That was the book Oliver had seen on chair.

"When did you feed Faith last?" Oliver questioned.

"About an hour before I put her to bed." Lilly replied. "She didn't drink much, so it's possible that she could be hungry."

"Is that what's the matter, baby girl? Is our little Lolliepop hungry?" He lightly tickled around Faith's bellybutton. Her tiny legs kicked at the underside of Oliver's arm. Lilly smiled, but also felt somewhat jealous. She remembered countless tickle attacks her and her husband had over the years. It had been too long since they had one. Lilly had thought about instigating such thing that evening had Faith stayed asleep.

"Lolliepop?" Oliver received a small laugh at this nickname for Faith. "That's a new one."

"Not really." He replied and pointed to each person as he explained the origin. "Lilly-pop plus Ollie-pop equals Lolliepop!" His smile beamed for solving the ultimate mathematical equation.

Lilly just shook her head at that sight. That was the loveable, quirky boy she had fallen for; that side of Oliver hadn't changed one bit. She turned her focus back to Faith. "Alright, sweetie. You hang tight with daddy while mommy goes and gets your bottle."

Lilly stretched her and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Her toes curled up as soon as her bear feet hit the carpet. Hands were placed on her knees for leverage as Lilly tried to find the strength to stand. She made it half way up when Oliver caught sight of her wobbly lack of balance. Immediately, he shot the free arm that wasn't securely holding their baby to catch _his baby_.

"Whoa there!" He exclaimed, his heart skipped at beat at the scary image of Lilly falling forward and hurting herself. "Take it easy, Lils, honey."

"I can't take it easy, I'm a mom!" She grunted and made a second attempt to get on her feet. This one failed much faster. Oliver saw to it that she barely flinched an inch.

"A_ new _mom." Mr. Oken emphasized. "You're body isn't use to all this extra work you are asking from it yet."

"Ollie-pop, I gotta take care of our daughter. It's my job."

"And it's my job to take care of _both _of you." Oliver put a hand on one of Lilly's legs and rubbed reassuringly. "You're tense, and you're tired. Let me get what Faith needs."

"I don't deserve you, babe." Lilly expressed just how lucky she was. Neither one liked to be waited on hand and foot. They were both strong, stubborn souls, but knew when the other meant well. Sometimes it was just difficult to accept.

"Don't you ever say that." Brown eyes scolded as Oliver cupped her cheek. "You know what I'd do for you and our family."

The blonde's face warmed, and she smiled underneath his hand. "There's bottle ready in the fridge."

"Got it." He sealed the deal with a slow- release kiss.

Oliver then carefully transferred the precious cargo he held to Lilly. Faith wasn't too enthused with the movement. Arms failed about, but her mother was able to settle her down some as Oliver rose.

"I won't be long, ladies." He pecked Lilly on the cheek, but did not deny his daughter a show of affection. Oliver bent down, took a hold of Faith's hand, and softy kissed her tiny fingers. They twiddled at the touch, which caused both parents to smile. Smokin' Oken the ladies man had been replaced with Oliver Oken the_ family _man. Thoughts invaded her mind as Lilly watched her man leave the sanctuary of their bedroom to tend to his fatherly duties.

She sighed contently down at her daughter. "Isn't daddy wonderful, Faith?" The infant made a soft coo as if she had understood to respond. Also, Faith tried to mimic the happy expression on her mom's face. Efforts were rewarded by a kiss on the cheek.

Lilly rocked Faith gently in her arms while the two waited for Oliver to return. It was during this activity that she began to collect thoughts that she wanted to share. They weren't comments that she expected her child to understand, but what was on the tip of Lilly Oken's tongue was from the heart. Regardless if Faith was able to remember anything from that night or not, the gut feeling was powerful enough to overcome indecisiveness.

"You are such a special little girl." Lilly's tone was mild-mannered. "You bring so much joy into mine and your daddy's lives."

Faith stared up at Lilly with an almost clueless look. Although she was not able to show it, Faith was able to sense the feelings and moods of her parents, especially he mother since they spent the most time together. There was a part of her that knew the watering of Lilly's blue eyes meant a change in emotion.

"We would talk to you and daddy would sing even when you were still in mommy's stomach. You'd answer him back by giving a kick, and then he'd kiss my skin." She began to sniff as memories of her pregnancy resurfaced. Those were both rough and joyous times for the Okens. Schedules were often unbalanced and they were even more prone to bicker battles (as hard as that was to believe), but Lilly wasn't near tears for a bad reason.

"You're the best thing to happen to me since the day I met your dad." Despite the change in volume, her voice still cracked and was shaky. Lilly held the baby close as she whispered "I love you, Faithy-pop" and touched her lips to her once more. "You gonna be spoiled rotten, kido!"

"I think she already is."

Lilly flung her head around and saw Oliver standing in the bedroom doorway. Adults exchanged sweet expression and Faith fidgeted anxiously in Lilly's arms at the sight of her father. His hands were full of the baby supplies that Lilly had asked him to retrieve.

"Daddy-pop's back, Faithy girl!" Lilly announced excitedly.

"And he brought everything you need!" The proud father boasted. As Oliver took a few steps into the room, he recited a verbal check list to his wife. Every item was held up as it was named. "I've got the bottle, a clean wash rag incase of spit up or dribble, Faith's binky to keep her calm when she's finished, _and_..." Oliver dangled the final object for Lilly to see. "A tie to put you hair back so it's not in the baby's face and she can't grab it."

"That slipped my mind tonight!" Oliver's wife replied astonished. "Thank you for remembering, baby!"

"I'm always thinkin'." Oliver pointed to his temple as he kneeled on the bed and scooted up behind Lilly.

The blue wash rag was placed at his side on the bed with the pacifier on it. He handed his wife the baby bottle, but she didn't let Faith drink from it just yet. Lilly's silky, wavy blonde hair was gently pulled back and secured with the black elastic hair tie by Oliver. (One would never have thought that Oliver Oscar Oken would have done such a thing. It was a gesture that Lilly found awfully sweet and romantic of her boyish-charmed husband.) Secretly, he took a deep inhaled of the sweetness of the favorite fruit fragrance that diffused from her hair. His loving, Greek god-like arms snaked their way around Lilly's waist and stomach, pressing her back against his chest.

"And ya wanna know what I'm thinkin' _now_...?" A low, seductive tone crashed at Lilly like a mighty wave. His hot breath tickled the side of her face.

"I do..." The same-sounding voice was used in by Lilly in the reply.

"I'm thinkin' what a lucky man I am to be completely in love with the two most beautiful girls I've ever seen."

That adorable compliment (combined with the sensation of warm lips on her neck) melted away the stressed muscles and was enough to cause Lilly's insides to shiver. She titled her head backwards and getting up hitting Oliver's chin with a kiss rather than his mouth. There wasn't a time to be disappointed, but neither really felt that way anyway. Faith was antsy for her bottle, so Lilly made sure she had the infant in the proper position with enough support and began to feed her. Little Faith took it with ease. That left a lull in conversation that needed to be filled.

"There used to be a time when I paranoid." Lilly broke the silence that had fallen. "There were days when I feared you were never coming back. You were a superstar; you could have had anyone in the world. Girls were all over you. I would ask "Why would you want me anymore? Did you even want me from the start? What am I gonna do; I can't lose you!"

Eyes met briefly. "What did you tell me when I asked those things, Oliver?"

"Have faith." He answered honestly, and then went on a rant of his own.

"There was a time when I thought I should just forget it. There had been a stretch of days where I thought you have finally given me the ultimate punishment. I made a million mistakes; this amazing girl couldn't possibly be waiting for me at home. She had to have moved on to someone better and who could be physically there for her when I wasn't. I would ask "Why would you want me anymore? Did you even want me from the start? What am I gonna do; I can't lose you!"

Neither one had blinked during their reflective speeches. "What did you tell me when I asked those things, Lilly?"

"Have faith." She answered quietly.

"We did and we _do_." He gave Lilly a squeeze hug from behind and propped his chin up on her shoulder. "We have _Faith_." They smiled down at their angel who was deep in concentration as she drank her formula.

"Mommy's miracle..."

"And daddy's dream."

First-time parents rested their heads on each others as mother continued to feed. Each had that flittering warmth in their heart and the look of love glistening from their entire faces as they observed this essential function.

"Look at those eyes..." Oliver trailed. They were so wide and so big as she sucked on the bottle. Color was unknown yet, but the father had wish. "I hope the turn out blue like yours, honey."

"But they're so dark." Lilly pointed out sweetly. "I think she's gonna be brown-eyed like you."

"She may have my eyes, but I'm certain she'll stay blonde." Oliver removed one of his hands from around his wife's mid second and stroke the thin, scattered hair that grew in clumps on Faith's head. She didn't seem to mind having this happen while she ate. Like her mother, she craved Oliver's touch.

"Our daughter has your smile." Lilly told the truth. Whether or not she was still developing and learning, the facial expression that child made obviously gave away her father's identity.

"Faith got her adorable giggle from you." Oliver complimented. Paired with he classic "eep", there was no sweeter sound to him. Now that Faith was here, Oliver heard the music to his ears much more often.

Those two could have gone through ever gene in the book and compared their own traits with Faith's. Lilly best summed up what they were both thinking. "She's the perfect blend of us."

"That she is." The "new daddy pride" presence never left Mr. Oken. He gazed at his daughter for a few more seconds before snapping back to one of his more typical outbursts. "Can we make a great baby or what! Good work, Lilly-pop!" Oliver moved an arm to hang around Lilly's shoulders loosely and pressed his lips firmly against her blushing skin.

"Thanks?" Lilly replied to those kind, yet awkward words. Sure they have had their fair share of incredible nights together, but was that really appropriate to have said? Although she couldn't believe what just came from her husband's mouth, the favor was retuned. "You, uh...you too, Ollie."

Enough time had passed and Faith was getting towards the end of her formula. That three month old was indeed intelligent for her age. Her next action showed it. She raised her arms up with open fists and made contact with the plastic container. With all her infant might she tapped against the bottle, trying to knock it out of her mother's hand. Lilly saw the signal given and knew that Faith was finished with her literal "midnight snack."

"Aww! She inherited your need to be in charge, babe!" Oliver joked with a wink.

"I have the urge to backhand you and laugh at the same time." She replied with a serious look. "Which would you rather I do?"

Mr. Oken's complexion grew pale in an instant as he answered frightened. "Laugh. Pl-Please, laugh."

"Well, it_ was _kinda funny..." Lilly admitted with an underlying giggle or two. "But I'll get you for it later."

Oliver gulped loudly in Lilly's ear, but she thought nothing of it. Somehow they'd forget about the incident or loosen the punishment greatly. Right now she had to deal with the baby. Faith did dribble a bit of milky formula out of her mouth when Lilly took away the bottle.

"You made quite a mess there, sweetiepie." Lilly spoke in her "mom voice" (that almost sicky-sounding tone that was annoying to everyone else except her other half.)

"But we can clean you right up!" Like the amazing helper he was, Oliver sprung into action and immediately handed over the cloth rag. Sneaky drops of dripping formula were absorbed before they had a chance to slide down Faith's chin.

"There you go!" Lilly said happily, wiping up the last bits. Not a single drop remained on her baby's face or reached her outfit. "Now I just gotta burp you."

"Can I do it!"

Cue spazztic Ollie-pop! The loudness of the pure excitement from Oliver's requested startled Lilly completely. Physically, she flinched and had that temporary moment where her heart seemed to jump in her chest. She covered one hand in that spot as she calmed herself enough to speak. "Geeze, honey! Chill out!"

"Sorry..." He apologized with a bit of flushing pink cheeks. "But can I burp Faith? _Please_!"

Again, Lilly wasn't able to wrap her brain around the reason of Oliver's sudden spazz. Her face formed the strangest look, but she decided to cave. "Sure you can."

"Eeep!" Oliver mimicked the sound his wife made that he loved so much. Weird looks continued from Lilly as she watched him appear beside her on the now almost like magic. He held open his arms and Lilly carefully placed Faith in them. His brown eyes became much lighter. Just from his actions and the familiar expression, Lilly finally made the connection

"Daddy McDork urges?" She drew the correct conclusion with a crawling smile. He did score the highest out of any other student in that project, this exercise in particular.

"_Oh yeah_." He emphasized as he patted Faith's back. "Only a billion times worse, because it's my real kid now."

"You were a good dad to that sack of flour." Lilly admitted, but there were hidden sour feelings behind it. "I just didn't like being Aunt Lilly for the week..." She muttered.

Oliver was surprised at how much time had taken her to come clean. They had been together for so long, yet the subject hadn't been brought up at all. "You _were_ jealous, Lilly-pop. You wanted to be the mother."

"I walked into Mr. Myers' class the following semester, and the first thing he said to me was "I'm sorry, Miss Truscott. You're one group too late."

Mr. Oken chuckled. "If only Myers would have known what would happen to '_Miss Truscott_.'"

In the midst taking care of the baby, the two leaned in towards the center and shared a kiss. It didn't seem like either one wanted to end such a thing too quickly, yet they were cut off short anyhow. All of Oliver's efforts had paid off; Faith let out a burp of great volume for such a small baby girl. Each Oken became wide-eyed and stunned when it was heard. Lips detached and fingers pointed at each other with one common reaction.

"She got that from you!" They defended in unison.

"I bet that felt good, didn't Faithy-pop?" Oliver removed Faith from the burping position and held her up in front of his face smiling. "Is your tummy all happy now, little one?"

"Say 'yes, daddy. Thank you!'" Lilly answered for the baby.

"I know what'll make it_ really _happy..." Without warning, Oliver starting attacking his daughter's stomach with kisses. Faith burst into laughter, giggling and smiling like there was no tomorrow. Her eyes brighten up tremendously, and she kicked and screamed with joy.

Lilly herself was even laughing at that adorkable scene, but yet again, she harbored a secret. She remembered when Oliver did that action solely to her and no one else. The fuzzy feeling it gave and how she would squirm and squeal were just memories. Now all Lilly cared about was making Faith happy, giving her everything Lilly had growing up and more. However, it was much too late in the evening (so late that it was technically morning by then) to wind up Faith like that.

"Hey." She tapped firmly on Oliver's bare shoulder while he was deep in concentration "You gonna save some lovin' for your wife?"

He stopped and turned his head to answer smug, yet honest. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of kissy-pop left for you."

"Good to know, sweetheart." Lilly stroked Oliver's dark, ruffled hair. "And I think Faith's had enough excitement for one night."

"Five more minutes!" Oliver whined. He was now trying to play peek-a-boo with the baby. Faith half understood how the game worked. She at least knew enough to respond to the silly looks her father gave her.

"It's way past Faithy's bed time." Lilly scolded. "Heck, it's way past _ours_, too!"

"I'm a night owl." He explained nonchalantly. "Besides, we used to stay up way later than this in college."

"Before we were married and certainly before we had our child." Lilly tacked on the specifics to Oliver's true comeback. Old times were revisited when she rested her head in the crook of his neck. "I _really_ missed you, Oliver." She sighed and shut her eyes when she replied. "Lets all just wind down a bit, ok?"

"Can you hand me Faith's pacifier?" He asked sweetly, letting his wife know he was going along with her request. Lilly felt around on the bed behind her and grabbed the desired object Oliver had requested. The stubborn offspring did not want to accept the toy at first, but with a little coaxing, Oliver was successful. "This oughta help." Oliver cuddled the baby girl close.

"Her eyes aren't even closed." Lilly lifted her head back up and informed unhappily. "She just won't sleep tonight."

A few different positions were tried. All of them were somewhat affective, but none solved the problem entirely: Faith stayed quiet_ and _awake. Oliver sensed the unease that plagued his wife, but wasn't sure how to clear things.

"How did you get her down earlier?" He questioned as he rubbed Faith's back.

A reluctant tone saturated her reply. "Truthfully?"

Oliver nodded. "Yes, of course. How'd you do it?"

Why did Lilly look as if she was almost afraid to give an answer when she had nothing to hide? Her eyes flicked from Faith to her husband as she spoke softly. "I...I told her that she'd be hearing your voice again soon. That when she woke up tomorrow, you'd be there with a hug and a kiss saying 'who's daddy's little girl?' She loves it when you do that."

The man sat in silence for a moment as he absorbed every bit of what he was told. It was a sound, factual statement; that activity took place nearly every single morning (if Lilly hadn't beaten him to the punch.) Faith's life created a whole new routine for everyone, but Oliver felt the changes to his were for the better. He held responsibility, stuck to the schedule, and helped out more than any guy his age ever did. Take the definition of a perfect father and that's what Oliver Oken strived to be; what he wanted to be since that experiment in junior high.

Having a baby was supposed to prevent nights of guilt and unrest, yet those feelings resurfaced. Faith had to be bribed essentially with word of mouth that Oliver intended to repeat his daily action.

He looked as his wife with a bit of amazement. "I havethatmuch affect on her?"

"_So_ much, baby."

"But you're her mom. Babies want and know their mothers more than their dads." Was it so hard for Oliver to accept the truth? Would if have killed him to ease up on being modest?

"Faith loves her mom. All babies do. But you're her world, sweetie." Lilly pared Oliver's compliment with a reassurance rub of his bare back. "Just like you are to me." Mrs. Oken put her lips to his cheek to sure a small token of her gratitude.

"It's an honor to be." Oliver blushed. "But I'm here now, and Faithy's still awake."

"Hold her to your chest." Lilly suggested. "She loves heartbeats."

"Just like her mom, huh?" An innocent smiled painted across both their faces as Lilly nodded. "Alrighty then, sweetie. Lets give this a try."

It took careful plotting and some interesting moves, but the all Okens had switched position. The two pillows at the head of the bed had been pushed together so Oliver could lie in the middle. (Of course his pillow was filled with feathers, while Lilly's had foam inside, because she claimed that lying on a father-filled one gave her head ache. Those two could not even agree on what material their heads rested on at night.) Flat on his back, Oliver had Faith securely curled up on her side in the center of his chest. Lilly lay next to him with her head in its usual spot.

"I could get used to this." He said with an arm draped around Lilly that caressed the smooth skin of her forearm.

"Think we all could." She sighed contently.

"You hear my heart, baby girl? Does it make your feel safe?" Oliver looked down and asked his infant daughter quietly. Faith's only response was a subconscious yawn from her tiny mouth.

"It must be working." Lilly replied.

Oliver bent his head down to his wife's level and watched her even though the question he posed wasn't actually to Lilly. "How 'bout we let mommy take a listen?"

"Don't disturb Faith. I'm content like this." That answer was a typical mom response. They always put their child first and their wants and needs second. "I can't hear you heart, but I have ways of feeling it." She took just soft lips and covered the pulsing vein in Oliver's neck. Lilly felt a low-sounding chuckle vibrate through her as Oliver put his head on top of hers.

"Points for being creative, Mrs. Oken." Oliver poked fun at that comment his teacher wife often made in the classroom (although he thoroughly approved of that action as well.) "But I've got an idea that'll make us all happy."

"We're _already_ happy." She sent a nudge verbally and one with her eyes that said she did not want to move from this particular part of Oliver that she had claimed ever since that beach party when they were high school juniors. However, her efforts were fruitless; Oliver had his mind set on a secret. There was no persuading him.

"Don't talk. You'll spoil the moment." He kissed Lilly's forehead before retracting his loose hold on her. In his arms, Oliver picked up the drowsy child from his chest, much to his wife's dismay and displeasure.

"She was nearly out, honey!" Lilly scolded stern, but quiet.

"Just take her." His face read "trust me on this." That was exactly what Lilly Oken did. She shrugged off the rest of her rebuttal.

Faith was placed back into the arms of her mother. All this switching confused the poor little Oken girl. At that point, she wasn't sure of her surroundings or anything of the sort. Eyelids felt heavy; each blink became one step closer to a longer close.

"I'm sorry you have such a dorky dad." Lilly empathized with her daughter about Oliver's quirks and random decision-making skills. "I know one day you'll ask me just what it is that I see in him."

"Charm, good looks, the way your head fits in my neck, and lets not forget my crayons." He sat up and answered for Lilly with utmost confidence. "And you're gonna love me for this."

"Then show me. We're waiting." She replied impatiently.

"You're holding _our_ baby..." He began.

"Yes I am, Captain _Duh_!" She bit sarcastically at Oliver's uncanny ability to state the obvious. His brown eyes rolled at yet another one of his nicknames. Normally a cut off like that one was a huge turn on, but Oliver was not fishing for anything of that nature.

The "let me finish" vibes he sent were received loud and clear. Oliver did complete his plan lovingly. His arms encircled Lilly from her mid section and gently guided her back down towards him. He had been slouching with bad posture for a few minutes now, so that Lilly was in the desired spot once her back came in contact with his bare chest. Positions were perfect; Lilly was indeed able to hear and feel the soft, yet strong beats of her man's heart through one of her ears. Each Oken was now physically connected to one another.

"And now I'm holding _mine_." He concluded contently.

"I gotta admit it: this is _much_ better." Lilly said, snuggling into her husband. She held Faith up against her chest, just as Oliver had earlier.

"Are my girls happy now?" He smiled and wrapped his arms around both mother and child. His arm created some form of loving shield and barrier. To Lilly, it seemed that nothing could possibly go wrong when they lay like that. She cherished that moment greatly.

"Very much so." As a toke of her appreciation, Lilly touched her lips to whatever was the closest to her. That happened to be Oliver' muscular arms in this case. "Thank you."

Oliver took an extra observant glance at Faith to see if his final treatment had worked. "I think she's actually asleep now." He reported. The baby's big eyes were now loosely shut.

"Mmhm." Lilly replied and sided with her husband's conclusion. "There's no other place she'd rather be right now."

"Can't say I disagree..."

Oliver had his head tilted half way down when Lilly met him in the middle. Their minds had read each other's feelings and notions. They smiled at that fact through their small kiss. Both wanted more, but left all matters strictly as lovey-dovey couple time. Besides, the end result of Lilly and Oliver's last real hormonal outburst and dive into temptation was sleeping soundly on them. The typical scold "not in front of the kid" still needed to be used every once in a while. Do not take that as a sign of irresponsibility, rather let it be known as a new found wave of maturity form the two of them. At least they knew enough to stop themselves...or temporarily hold off until they were better conditions.

"You think she's dreamin', Ollie-pop?" Out of nowhere, Lilly began another conversation. She felt the tiny chest of her daughter's rise and fall against her.

He just shrugged. "I don't know. Can babies dream?"

"You said our daughter is way advanced for her age. She can do anything!" The face Lilly made when she defended and stayed dedicated to a point was classic and adorable. It was a look of pride, yet Oliver saw his dorkiness shine through her smile. He stifled his first reaction, which was a chuckle at the innocence that had turned around and was staring him in the face. "I meant is she dreaming right now?"

"I'd imagine so."

"I wonder what she sees..." She trails off in deep thought but out loud. "I wonder what she thinks about..."

"So do I." Oliver answered, very carefully taking one of his hands ant stroking Faith's thin layers of hair. "I'm sure whatever it is, it makes her the happiest three month-old alive."

"I like to think it's something simple." Lilly continued. "The little things make her happy."

"Her mom and dad are here. Faith doesn't have a care in the world."

Reactions were mixed. In his mind, Oliver felt content with the pervious statement and presented himself that way. Lilly, on the other hand, did not take those words in the same way. She tried her darndest not to show what her true emotion was by curling up and faking falling asleep.

But it was obvious that Lilly was not now nor was she ever able to hide anything from Oliver. Was it a gift, or was it a curse? He knew the sudden silence's true meaning. He saw right though the shaky sigh with hints of stress and drama. He read all those signs like an open book, but Oliver chose to play dumb for moment. Eventually, knowing of Lilly's unrest ate away at his heart.

Hesitance was present when he asked such a simple question. "What's wrong, babe?"

The warmth of Oliver's breath in Lilly's ear sent shivers. Underneath Oliver's, her own arms received the chills. Now not only did her mind feel guilty, but her body did, too in a sense. It wanted to trick him and give off a believable vibe that everything was alright. Lilly wanted to prove that her stupid thoughts were just a phase that she had finally outgrown. There was no use. She had been had; why did she even try in the first place?

"You know I'm not one to worry about crazy possibilities unless they're brought to my attention." The blonde cautiously began. She fought a battle amongst herself about whether or not to make eye contact. At that moment, it wasn't so bad on the nerves. Lilly ended up making a few shifts from the baby to the father. "This whole thing with Faith being cranky tonight and me having to deal with her all alone...well it got me thinking."

"Thinking about what, Lilly?" He edged her to explain.

"About _us_." Lilly cut straight to the chase. "Our lives are so different now."

"Different for the better with Faithers here." Oliver defended with his daddy pride. Then, his face became puzzled when he saw that the distraught complexion had not vanished. "Don't you like being a mom, Lilly-pop?"

"I love it just as much as I love being Mrs. Oken." She reassured. "It just makes me think more. I've got a whole new set of worries now."

Sensing the tension, Oliver gave a comforting squeeze. "You're my wife. Your worries are my worries. Now what's buggin' you?"

There was no where to turn; Oliver had his eyes zoned in and focused on her. The fear of sounding stupid saturated her brain, which made it increasingly harder to spill the truth. For the first time, Lilly became rather shy and distant.

"I stink at the guessing game." He admitted. "And my other methods of getting things out of you won't work with the baby sleeping right there, so you might as well just tell me."

Another sigh of the same nature as before escaped Lilly's mouth. In a way, she wished there could have been a tickle fight, a kissing attack, or even for Oliver to start singing a Radiohead song so poorly that it made Lilly scream out what was on her mind just so he stopped butchering her beloved band. She wasn't going to get assistance this time. Tonight, she had to do things the hard way, no matter how much it killed her to do so.

"I worried about our future. Maybe...maybe we're doing it wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked, slightly taken aback. "Lils, we've dreamt of having this life. We've dreamt of nights just like this one."

"I'm just scared, Ollie. That's all."

"Of what?" An eyebrow rose. "Faith's safe and healthy. You're safe and healthy."

Now Lilly had steered his thought process in the wrong direction. The matter wasn't physical, and she had to make the correction. "You give us everything, Oliver." She praised her husband's deep commitment to his family. "I love you for that."

"Back at ya." He smiled coolly, but knew the severity of what he had been told. "That's why I don't see a problem."

"It's time, it's the financial issues," Lilly bit her lip and finally spoke her mind. "It's us having to be real adults now..."

"So _that's_ what's eating you?" Some sarcasm plagued the rhetorical response. "Oh Lilly-"

"I'm sorry, but I'm serious." She replied, sticking to her guns. "You asked what was up and I told you."

The so-called worries that Lilly had mentioned apparently were not as big of a deal to Oliver. Sure, they were all important things that should not be taken lightly, but knowing this man, he had the perfect answer to any an all doubts.

"You think we have bad timing?" He posed that question while settling into his position. "Had I not been around in the middle of your dilemma with that nose-whistle Wally fella at the beach party, that could have been _his_ baby sleeping on you."

"Eww!" Lilly shook her head frantically and desperately tried to block the disturbing mental image of the possibility of Oliver's scenario from her mind completely. "You're disgusting!" She backhanded him in the chest. Oliver grunted at the sudden pain. Why didn't he brace himself after such a comment?

"Relax, Lilly-pop! It was just a joke." He reported with an underlying chuckle. It was obvious he struck a nerve by accident. "I just meant that if I wasn't right there for you to grab as your emergency dance partner, well…who knows when we would have gotten together."

"Fate works in mysterious ways." She added honestly. "But it would have been soon. I was going _nuts_ trying to hide my feelings for you, honey."

"Time means everything. And what better time to be yours and with our daughter than now..." He enjoyed resting his head in a spot in her neck for a change.

"I'm loving it, believe me." Lilly felt her cheeks warming from the contact. After all these years, Oliver still gave her butterflies. His kisses from those soft lips still made her heart skip. "But as much as I want every day to be like this, I know it's not gonna stay that way."

"What do you mean?" His head was slow to retract to normal.

"I'm gonna sound like a broken record..." She voiced her concern hesitantly.

The response that came to Oliver' mind was one of sappy flattery. "Your voice is my favorite record."

Lilly took the semi-cheesy compliment to heart. A little smile flashed, but she wasn't about to drop the subject. "I know I said I didn't want to get into it earlier, and I still don't want to, but..."

"Go on." Oliver nudged with the nodding of is head. What was left of his short black bangs flopped. No matter what Lilly had to say, Oliver was always willing to listen. With that in her head, she reluctantly decided to rehash the old topic from when her husband first returned home that evening.

"You took a smaller, closer gig for less pay just to stay near me and baby. There are so many bigger and better places to play at in different parts of the country or even the world for that matter." She paused before revealing a truth she really thought she shouldn't have. "We could be doing so much better..."

Every word left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. It was as if she didn't believe in the choices they had made as couple. Lilly's lips felt as if they had been stained from announcing such a negative realization. Immediately, her watering blue eyes had to escape from the brown pair's capture. Why did she have to be so blunt? That was not the best or smart way to bring up the point. There were more subtle ways than essentially accusing Oliver of taking the easy way out for whatever reason.

Oliver himself was not crushed by what had been said to him; however it bothered him that Lilly misunderstood. His wife was strong and intelligent. To make such a mistake like that just wasn't sitting right with him.

"_I_ make the sacrifices so_ you _don't have to. That's a _man's _job."

Emphases sounded more like disgruntled force when he meant nothing of the sort. Oliver thought he was simply restated that he preferred to take the higher road and be noble. Lilly, on the contrary, interpreted the answer given to her completely different. Blame it on the lack of sleep and stress overload, because these two were nearly always in sync.

Emotions ran high, clouding her judgment. That was why Lilly faced her husband with glistening eyes and through herself under the bus. "Then I'm the woman holding us back."

Mr. Oken felt terrible that his wife had resorted to using herself as a scapegoat. Before any drops could burst through, Oliver kissed Lilly's cheeks lightly at the spot just under her eyes. Liquid that had ponded up instantly dried. He wasn't about to let any tear fall for a false proclamation.

"I was honest with you before, babe: I had to start performing again, because we need the money. Yes, you not working right now hurts us financially, but that's not something you can blame yourself for."

"I miss the classroom environment and the kids." Lilly sniffed and reminisced about her days as pre-K teacher at the same school her and Oliver attended. "You know I've wanted to be a teacher since tenth grade. Your passion is music, and mine is teaching."

"I understand where you're coming from," Whole-hearted, he did. Being on stage gave Oliver a rush and a sense of accomplishment. Though hers was in a much different form, he also knew that Lilly received the same sort of feeling when working with young children.

"But you need to see it my way. If downsizing my shows means more time with my wife and infant child, I'll do it. With a few shows a week around town, we'll have enough in the bank to keep us stabilized until you can return to your job."

It was a battle of who possessed more stubbornness. Each had well thought out points and an answer for everything. They were pros at defending their opinion, but every now and then, one of them saw the opposition's way. Rarely was this person Lilly. However, that was exactly the case that night. Very slowly, she started to side with reality, with her husband Oliver's logic reasoning. As a mother, her wants were sent to the back burner. Anything else made her seem selfish, and that was not the kind of person Lilly was or had ever been.

"Faith needs me right now." Lilly gazed down at her innocent, precious baby and then at Oliver. "She needs _us_, Ollie-pop."

"That's why we wait until she's older before we get back into the swing of things." His explanation was laced with a promise to be the best father possible. Oliver was more than ready for the unknown roads ahead of them. He was well prepared for any and all twists and turns. Most importantly, he wanted Lilly to know that he was going to be there for both girls no matter what.

Lilly smiled up at Oliver and caressed his cheek with praise. "When did you become so wise?"

"I grew up." He stated simply, yet seriously. A sense of pride backed his words as if that accomplishment was such a shock.

And indeed it was to Lilly. Her hand stopped its loving gesture and her eyes narrowed into a stare of confusion. "Wait...We grew up? When did this happen!"

Oliver laughed softly at that remark, because they once swore to be young forever; at least in the heart. It was what they were known for: dorky demeanors and goofy ways. He reached up, removed Lilly's hand form his face, and laced their fingers. "Oh, somewhere along the lines of when we said "I do."

"Can we handle all this?" She asked with those big blue eyes that were full of concern of the future.

"For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death to us part..." He leaned his head closer to her with each set phrase. When their forehead touched, Oliver concluded in an honest whisper. "I'm in."

Lilly blushed and answered in the same tone. "I'll take that as a yes."

Mr. and Mrs. Oken then shared a dual-meaning kiss. Oliver did what he did best since high school: kissing away Lilly's fears and worries. They dissipated under his smooth lips. That was all that Lilly really needed to know. She felt relived and so relaxed that she kissed back in a manner that was just shy of acting like it was the first night of their honeymoon. There were no cares, nothing preoccupying her brain except her gorgeous, humble husband. Each set of feelings melted and mixed into one memorable moment that ended at its' own pace; neither one forced the other to deepen the kiss or stop.

"We'll make it through this, Lilly-pop. You'll see. Just do what we've always told each other."

"Keep having Faith." Their life's motto was announced simultaneously. That little baby truly was the center of their universe.

"Mmhm." Oliver nodded. "And then maybe one day we'll have Ollie Jr..."

"Ollie Jr?" Her eye teamed up with a sarcastic tone of voice. In her mind, Lilly thought "_Really, Oliver! We're just now learning to adjust with one kid, and you want more! Can't Ollie Jr. be a dog or something?_"

Reading his wife's body language loud and clear, Oliver began to fidget. Beads of nervous sweat formed on his naked upper body. Roles were reversed: _he _was the worrier this time.

"Uh, Faithy-pop told me the other day that, uh, that she wants a little brother." Oliver stammered what he thought was a cute and innocent approach to cover for his own wish to have a son who shared his name. He did so darting his eyes and scratching the back of his head

"_Did she now_?"

The young, new mom grinned slyly. As terrible as it sounded, Lilly did like to see her Ollie-pop squirm every now and then. Ninety-five percent of the time, he had a shield up; that macho man, Greek god, tough guy attitude. However there was five perfect where guards were down and Oliver showed a weak spot. Lilly had always known how to use these rare opportunities to her full advantage, and that's exacted what she was doing now.

"Uh...yeah..." Oliver covered his mouth with both hands the second he confirmed that lie. It didn't matter how hard he tried to prevent tipping his hand, the natural quirk of his hiccup was not able to be silenced.

Lilly shook her head at his useless attempt, yet tried to hide the smile that was inching its way onto her face. How silly-sweet of her dork to go through the trouble of creating such a plan to hide behind when he brought up that subject. Ultimately, the idea had crossed Mrs. Oken's mind several times. Though both adults realized it was much too soon, Lilly already had a decision made. She put on a loving look as she played with Oliver's bangs, ready to compromise.

"Well maybe in a couple of years, she'll get her wish."

Within an instant, the chocolate brown eyes staring back at Lilly grew twice their size. Victory had been declared. "_Yes!_"

Hands were removed from his mouth and arms shot straight up in the air. Had little Faith Oken not have been sleeping, Oliver would have busted out one of his famous "happy dances." Instead, Mr. Oken gave a great big bear hug to his wife, smothering her with love and kisses for a minute straight.

But then a minor detail called reality slapped Oliver across the face. Lilly had enjoyed his outburst of affection, but the over reacting was a direct violation of the point about growing up that he had made earlier. A little fun never hurt anyone, but it was hindering Oliver's chances of actually succeeding with this goal.

When he finally discovered that he was on the verge squeezing Lilly to death, Oliver slowly retracted his grip and cleared this throat. "I- I mean, you said it yourself: she's spoiled."

"You're a riot, Oliver." The compliment came out as half laugh, half yawn respectively. "You shoulda been a comedian instead of a rock…star…" Her voice trailed off as Lilly let her eyelids fall.

"I don't think I missed my calling." He replied, looking down at the adorable scene of mother and daughter just seconds away from drifting to dreamland. "I wouldn't trade this life for any other."

"And I wouldn't trade…I wouldn't trade you either…" Lilly mumbled. By this point, she had pressed her self firm against her husband's body while carefully coddling their baby.

"Lilly? You want me to put Faith back down for the night so you can get some sleep?" Oliver asked sweetly and stroked her hair.

"Don't…move!" A drowsy command was given despite the fact that eyes were closed. "Lilly-pop likey."

Mr. Oken chuckled. "And Ollie-pop lovey, but he also loves you. That and he wants his wife fully rested and recharged for his day off tomorrow."

"Stay…" That was all that Lilly's brain signaled her mouth to form.

"I'm staying home with you and Faith." Oliver promised. "I'll stay in bed with you all morning if you want."

"Forever, Oliver."

The innocent demand echoed throughout Oliver's head. Subconscious or not, the serious factor remained present in Lilly's words. Being the sap that he was, Oliver was ready with his verbal response and loving actions to go along with it. He started up at Lilly's forehead, leaving the initial kiss. Next was a soft touch of lips to her nose; the silly, playful kiss. Each cheek received a bit of contact of their own as well; the kind of kisses that made a person blush.

It all boiled down to the final kiss in Oliver's mix bag of fluffy affection. He felt Lilly's faint exhales from her nose when he smoothly took custody of his lover's lips. This was the butterfly-causing kiss. That was the same one that made hearts flutter, not race; melt, not burst from a chest. Oliver was sweet and gentle, passionate, yet laid back. There wasn't a raging fire brewing, just a warm flame glowing comfortably. Despite the fact that Lilly was so far off in another state that she didn't have much sense to respond, Oliver knew she felt the love he was showing and giving her.

"Forever and then some, Lillian." He expressed with light eyes and heart-felt smile. "I'm going to take Faith now, because we're all tired. Plus, it's not really safe to leave her go like this. One of us could accidently smush her."

With his concern voiced, Mr. Oken began to go ahead with the plan. He tried with all his ability not to disturb both females. Because she had been quiet for a few moments, Oliver made the conclusion that Lilly was done with her sleeping talking mumbles; no matter how adorable they were.

"Smush _me_."

An eye brow rose; Oliver had already maneuvered out from underneath Lilly's body when those words were heard from what was supposed to be a peacefully sleeping angel. She always was a sly one, but to make a remark of that nature now wasn't in character. Maybe it was just Oliver taking it out of context. Male minds tend to do such a thing, especially the Oken one that was "always thinking."

"I'll smothered you with love some more tomorrow, babe." Oliver held back his giggle and his wonder of what his wife had really meant. "Now just relax. I'll handle everything."

Lilly felt the mattress sink as Oliver moved closer to her. He knelt down in front of her and sat back on his ankles. They remained still for a second or two; Oliver gazing and Lilly resting. Eventually, a praising comment that had been on the tip of both of their tongues finally leaked from blonde beauty.

"You're perfect, you know that?" She formed a small smile in her sleep. His lips curled into one as well as he leaned forward, resting his hands on each of Lilly's shoulders for balance.

"So are you." A quick, yet meaningful kiss on the mouth was given. "Now shh. You gotta stay quiet, honey."

Oliver retuned to his previous position. With utmost caution, he slowly scooped Faith up from her mother's loving arms. The muscles inside them relaxed, although she kept them still as if the infant was still there. Mr. Oken smiled at his wife's strong will and dedication to being an excellent parent. (That was a quality they bother shared.)

Now Faith Lillian was safe and back in the possession of her mild-mannered rock star father. Her dark, assumingly brown eyes were hidden from the world. All that was left to do was put her to bed, tuck this darling baby girl in, and then maybe catch a few winks of much-needed sleep before dawn.

It took major skills for this Oken to leave the bed without disturbing his partner or bundle of joy. Somehow, this feat was completed successfully. (And mentally, Oliver patted himself on the back for a job well done.) Now at the edge of the bassinet, he gently placed the beloved Oken offspring inside her temporary bed. A bit of selfishness may have flowed through his nerves, but Oliver decided that he was not going to put his daughter in her actual crib in the nursery. Tonight, he wanted to stay close to both his girls, and this was the best solution.

Oliver stood there and simply watched his infant child as she slept. The silly penguin characters on her onezy rose and fell from her tiny breaths. He started to wonder if she was warm enough, for Faith no longer had the extra body heat that either of her parents possessed when she wasn't being held. There was a yellow blanket lying in the bassinet beside baby. Her dad wrapped the fabric around her and tucked in Faith. It was not too tight or too loose.

Between playing with, feeding, and rocking his only child to sleep, Oliver's fatherly duties were nearly finished for this night. The word "duties" seemed too harsh to describe the greatest job in the world to him. To some people, having a baby meant gaining chores like changing all those dirty diapers. Kids were often seen as brats and nuisances as they grew older. The mere thought of those negative opinions made this man sick to his stomach. Taking care of Faith was a labor of love.

And love was the emotion Oliver Oken showed every chance he had. That was why his mental check list before bed was not complete. He was missing the most crucial step. His body became level to that of the bassinet. Oliver's head poked inside next to the baby's.

"Goodnight, Faith Lillian. Sweet dreams, angel."

Beaming with fatherly pride and saturated with love, Oliver kissed his and Lilly's blessing on the cheek ever so softly and careful. As he pulled away, he felt a tear fall and roll down his face. Since he was only in his underwear, Oliver did not have a piece of useable clothing on his body to wipe away the droplet. Honestly, he didn't want to do and probably would not have anyway. This was a happy cry; a tear that represented just how much having this little girl in his life meant to Oliver. Being a good husband, he has wiped or kissed away all of Lilly's tears, but this one from his own body needed to remain a symbol.

Oliver backed away quietly. Instead of crawling across the mattress he took the long way and circled the bed, climbing in from the other side; his designated half. The thin sheets were slightly tangled from all the times the two adults got up and down from their spots to tend to their child. They were smoothed out by the man before he went to drape them over his bedmate. When Oliver had been putting Faith to sleep, Lilly had adjusted her position so that she now lay faced in her husband's direction. He tucked her in with the same precision and method he used with the baby.

Exhausted, Oliver collapsed his head in the center of his with a dull thud and what he thought was a sniffle that was only audible to him. Lilly's sharp ears caught the sound. She stirred from her light sleep momentarily. Each of them had instinct to tell when the other was crying. It was rare that Lilly had to use hers.

"You ok?" A sleepy, sweet voice asked.

"I just love her _so _much." He replied with a sigh.

"She knows, baby. She knows." Lilly draped an arm across Oliver's chest. She lightly pulled herself closer to his shirtless body. A lot of strength was absent in that action. Compassion and comfort were Lilly's goals.

Oliver helped by learning toward his wife as she rested her head against his side. Words vibrated and passed through his body to hers. "I hope she'll always know."

Mr. Oken began to slowly shut his eyes. Tonight, he was the one who needed held. He wanted to feel assured and loved. His wife missed him dearly on that evening that she kept her hold. Cleary, neither of them wanted to move. They busted each other insecurities. Lilly had someone to hold on to and Oliver had someone who loved him unconditionally.

"Ollie baby?" She whispered sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"Two things. One: if Faith wakes up before sunrise, she's _your _daughter…"

Oliver chuckled to himself at his wife's rule. If anyone was truly deserving of a break tonight, it was Lilly. "I get it, Lilly-pop. What's number two?"

Mr. Oken felt his wife shift in bed, snuggling as close as possible. Lips brushed his shirtless side as Lilly planted a warm kiss. _"Penguin_…" She smiled against skin.

"Penguin?" An eye brow was raised in suspicion, but only for a moment. The preverbal light bulb went off in the worn-out rock star's head, and he, too, smiled. "I knew you couldn't resist that 'foxy penguin' call earlier."

The Okens lay in their loving bed huddle closed; arms wrapped, heads in necks. Warmth, love, and security surrounded each member of the family. Faith slept soundly. Lilly was about to let out a cute snore and mutter something in her strange tongue, post-midnight mush talk. Oliver just sighed contently as his dream drifted towards him. Sure it sometimes became incredibly exhausting (and once in a while it was even a little frustrating), but Oliver was living out the perfect life; the sweetest dream of all.

* * *

**I ventured to my fluffy roots with this one. Of course, this was written before the discovery of "Ollie jr.", but hey; Loliver babies are adorable. Not my best, but I'd love it if you'd leave thoughts and comments in a review. I'm continuing to dig around and work on any story I can for the simple fact that I love writing and I love Loliver. Thanks for reading all of my rambles and stick around for more random posts coming soon.**

**-Marissa**


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